Atiku’s Candidacy Not Offensive to South, Says Dokpesi

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

Media mogul, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, yesterday said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections is situated within the context of the party’s constitution and has not offended the sensibilities of the southern region.

Dokpesi in an interview with journalists in Kano State shortly after former  Governor Ibrahim Shekarau returned to the PDP said the party’s constitution allows northern Nigeria to present a presidential candidate up to 2027.

He explained that “in 2015 when President Goodluck Jonathan was angling to contest elections, I personally wrote to him and asked him not to do so – to either go on vacation after completing Yar’Adua’s tenure or join the incoming government-so that he can come back and complete his full eight years.”

The Benin high chief blamed President Jonathan for jettisoning an established order, adding that he foreclosed the chances of the South.

“But he was advised otherwise, and adhered to that and that is what led to the crises we have today and what also allows the North to continue producing the president till 2027.

” I have been a member of the PDP from inception; I read and know every stage of the party activities. Out of the 16 years of PDP rule, the North served only two years, and that was why I opposed Jonathan in 2015 when he was running for elections. I told him he should allow the North to complete their eight years then he will have his full eight years after resting for a while.

“So it is not true that it is the turn of the South in PDP; what Jonathan did was what brought about the crises which some people are pushing up,” Dokpesi said.

He said the truth of the matter is that some of the social media handlers are worried that it is not possible for the North to have the chairman of the party, presidential candidate and Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman and maybe the Campaign director-general also from the North.

The AIT television owner, said: “Now it is because we are not situating issues from their proper perspective, the truth of the matter is that the PDP has a constitution and it has said that people are elected and rotated on an eight year basis.”